Winter at Eucumbene

[daniel944]

People go to fish Lake Eucumbene to catch one of the monsters that she holds. Often an angler has to be content with hooking into only small fish, and this seemed to be the story of my trip. I started at dry dam spinning devils. I have been meaning to fish here for years, but never quite made it happen. Anyway after braking through the layer of ice surrounding the dams edge and loosing a devil by just catching the edge of the ice jutting out from the opposite shore, all I had to show for my efforts was one follow from a small fish...

So at lunch time I deceided to head for 3 mile dam for a troll around. When I arrived at 3 mile, there was a family setting up a camp site, I went about launching my tinnie and started fishing. Now, I dont support or not support the shooters party legalising shooting in nationals parks, however while I was fishing I heard a number of guns shots comming from the campp site. I dont know what they were shooting or what with, but sitting in my tinnie with 0 protection, I felt very exposed... Perhaps the greenies have a point?

Anyhow trolling was tough as half the dam was frozen. I tried ever lure in the box, I used attractors and then I didn't, still nothing. So at about 3PM I said, one last trip around and then home (wind was getting up and the temp had droped to 0). I threw a lure (dont even know what its called) behind an attractor and set off. 10 mins latter the tip of my rod bent over, bugger I've hit the bottom again I thought, but it kept going. I had a fish, I actually had a fish! A minute later I pulled a 26cm rainbow into the boat. I kept going and missed one more fish but with the temp droping and the wind comming up I deceided to head back to eucumbene for a bit of bait fishing under the stars.

My tinnie is an 8 foot punt, and crusing across Eucumbene with only a 40lb Minn Kota in th dark really gives you a sense of how insignificant you really are... Anyhow, by the time I arrived it was pitch black, so I set up my bait rod in the dark while I steped of my net and broke it... So the bait od was out for about 10 mins and I was just about to start flicking lures around when I heard the can go over. As soon as I grabed the rod I new I was onto a decent fish, quite the fight ensued in the dark! But before too long I pulled a beautiful rainbow to 51cm up onto the bank. A just reward for a foolhardy journey? I rebaited my rod and went back to the lure casting, however it wasnt long before a mist rolled in and I thought better of driving an 8 foot punt across Lake Eucumbene in the dark...

The next day I thought a bit more trolling was in order, so out came the punt again. Now normally when you hook into a fish like the rainbow above, thats your quota for now. But my frustrating attempts at catching bass in the nepean must have built up some credits as before long I landed this beautiful brown that was even bigger...

I caught one more fish this weekend, a nice 35cm rainbow on bait. I did go trolling again yesterday morning before driving home and lost 3 fish at the boat... Ah well, I really cant complain. Lake Eucumbene has once again lived up to its reputation as Australia's top trout water!

[On Strike]

Hi daniel944,

Nice reward for your effort. It sure was cold down there. I was fishing the river and lost several fish when my fly line had frozen to the rod. If you go again try near the river mouths for all the fish heading up river this time of the year. Your boat set up sounds good for these areas

Paul

On Strike

[Bundyrock]

G'Day Daniel,

Good report. It shows that the effort does pay off.

Bundyrock

[daniel944]

Thanks fellas, bummer about the frozen fly line on strike. I have found latley that the best fishing has been had heading from Anglers Reach to Bramear Bay and all in between. There always seems to be so many boats between Anglers and the Portal... That been said ive never done much winter flyfishing, I prefer o wait for the warmer weather!!